The Better2Know Blog

The right HIV test for you depends on your own circumstances.  We have four different HIV tests in Manchester.  They vary by the time it takes to get results, and how long it has been since any incident you are concerned about.  Our Manchester HIV Testing Clinics are open seven days a week. 

Gonorrhoea resistance to antibiotics is now becoming more widespread in the UK.  As regular readers will know, we have been blogging about the STI’s resistance for the last few years.  However, the first cases are now in the UK with 24 reported since November 2014.

Better2Know can arrange STI testing with the fastest possible results in the UK.  We have results while you wait in the clinic for HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. We can also test for these six well known STIs in our lab with results the next day.

Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication taken by someone who is HIV negative, who have an HIV positive partner, to help to prevent them from contracting HIV.  The NHS has recently concluded that this life saving medication (which is cheaper than the medication for someone who is HIV positive) is not its responsibility, and so it will no longer fund the drug.

Truvada, the once-a-day drug to prevent infection with HIV could be offered to thousands of men on the NHS.  Truvada, is pre-exposure prophylaxis medication(PrEP). It prevents new infections by killing the virus before it has a chance to take hold in the body.  A report has found that giving PrEP alongside regular HIV testing and early treatment to a quarter of men at high risk of contracting the virus could prevent more than 40% of new infections, and there are calls for it to be available through the NHS.

The risk of developing an STI from having unprotected sex on holiday is much higher than it would be at home. An individual is three times more likely to acquire an STI if they are having unprotected sex abroad.

An estimated two-thirds of people, when they travel abroad, do not use condoms or use them inconsistently which also accounts for these high figures. Oral sex is riskier than people realise as STIs can also be transmitted this way. Increased alcohol or drug use, freedom from the usual social restraints and peer pressure are some of the reasons attributed to the higher risk of developing an STI abroad.
If you have had an encounter, whilst on holiday or travelling abroad, testing is encouraged as many STIs do not show any symptoms but you may still have been exposed. If someone has sex with a new partner on holiday it is recommended that they be tested when they return home. It is also recommended that the tests they take should include, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV as the number of patients developing these infections whilst abroad has increased greatly in recent years. At Better2Know we can test for individual infections and we have screens where we can test for several infections with one appointment. We can offer tests to patients as soon as 10 days after the incident they are concerned about. Our Early Detection Screen can test for HIV, Hep B & Hep C from 10 days after an incident and we have our Peace Of Mind Screen which can test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis from 14 days after the incident. If you would like to book an appointment please call the number above.

The answer to this is yes, it is possible to have an STI and not know it. STIs will not always show symptoms or they may have mild symptoms that can be mistaken for other conditions.  Most STIs do not have any symptoms, here are three of the most common:

There are at least 17 different types of Mycoplasma known to be present in humans. Mycoplasma genitalium or MG, known since 1981, is a bacterium which is believed to reside in the urinary and genital tract and is increasingly becoming considered as a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

March 8th is International Women’s Day and this year the theme is gender parity. A balance between genders is important for so many reasons and one area of mutual responsibility should be sexual health. Any type of sex can result in a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and in any kind of relationship, including heterosexual relationships, men and women can both catch STIs and can both spread STIs to one other. Men and women can both have a sexually transmitted infection without any symptoms, and therefore either may pass on an infection without knowing it.

A pregnant woman with a Syphilis infection can pass the infection unknowingly to her unborn baby or to her newborn during birth. When a baby is born with the infection already present, this condition is known as Congenital Syphilis. 

Congenital Syphilis is rare in the UK, but Syphilis is on the rise and a recent Public Health England report (1) indicated a 33% rise in Syphilis cases between 2013 and 2014, showing the ‘largest proportional increase’ of any STI. Like many other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Syphilis may not always have symptoms in women or in men and may be spread unknowingly.  Syphilis can be life threatening if transferred to a baby during pregnancy or birth. Babies born with Congenital Syphilis can endure a range of serious symptoms including failure to gain weight, fever, skin rashes and facial deformities such as no bridge to the nose (‘Saddle nose’). Sometimes Congenital Syphilis infection is not apparent until later in the child’s development and can cause blindness, eye problems, deafness or hearing problems to develop, as well as joint swelling, bone pain, abnormally shaped teeth (‘Hutchinson teeth’) and other symptoms(2).

Sexual health services may seem to be aimed at men or women only, but it is equally important to maintain good sexual health if you are transgender.  The BBC recently reported that the UK is a “long way from transgender equality” and the Minister for Women and Equalities said she was “determined to tackle discrimination wherever it existed.” There has been little research into the sexual health issues that transgender people face in the UK, but one report from 2014 identified issues in accessing healthcare, including problems created by GPs’ recording of gender and patients being “either never invited or repeatedly invited for inappropriate tests.” The same report also indicated a “persistent stigma and discrimination that increases [the] risk for HIV infection”.

Recently, there have been many news reports in the UK suggesting that Gonorrhoea infection may be becoming resistant to medication. Gonorrhoea is an infection affecting men and women and can have serious consequences if untreated, causing pain, infertility and other symptoms. It can also be transferred from mother to baby, so it is very important to be aware of the infection and how to reduce your risks of catching or spreading it.

‘Think About Sex Day’ on February 14th has been initiated by the Sexual Advice Association with the aim of encouraging everyone to think about physical and psychological issues surrounding sexual activity. One aspect of sexual health that needs careful consideration is the transmission of infection, especially as there are in excess of one million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) acquired throughout the world every day. (Source: World Health Organisation)

Health checks such as blood pressure, weight or cholesterol have become a regular part of the health routine for many, but sexual health testing is often overlooked. It is very important to maintain good sexual health and, as many Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) do not have symptoms, regular testing is the most reliable way to ensure that your sexual health status is good.

January 24th-30th 2016 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (CCPW). The charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust have initiated CCPW with the aim of raising awareness UK-wide of cervical cancer and ways to reduce the risk of developing it. The Trust are encouraging awareness-raising events such as sponsored walks and afternoon teas as well as their growing social media campaign #SmearforSmear to encourage others to find out about preventing cervical cancer and HPV.

Better2Know are making a donation to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust for every Smear Test and HPV Test we provide during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.

STI Awareness Day falls on January 14th each year, two weeks after New Year parties, events and get-togethers may have led to new relationships, unplanned intimacy or unprotected sexual contact.

Two weeks is a very relevant period of time as it is fourteen days after sexual contact that the most accurate test results can be obtained for Chlamydia, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

A recent recruit to our Bookings Team has noticed how many couples are booking screens and tests when they decide to take their new relationship to a committed, monogamous level and choose to dispense with using condoms. Thanks to education and the media people now seem more aware than ever that when you sleep with a new partner you are also, in some way, sleeping with their previous partners (and their previous partners).  The responsible thing to do is to get yourselves checked out before you have unprotected sex. Some people may find the initial conversation difficult, possibly finding sexual health an awkward subject to broach, and they may worry that raising the topic is in some way a slur on their partner’s previous sexual history. Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact several common Sexually Transmitted Infections are what is known as asymptomatic which means you may have an STI but have never noticed any symptoms and therefore you could unknowingly infect a new partner.

Although sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are more common amongst 16 to 24 year olds, there has been a rise in diagnoses amongst the older generation. Many couples over 50 are still sexually active and due to divorce or bereavement those over 50 may also find themselves single and dating again.

For many MSM, Chemsex is not just for Christmas, more people are now taking drugs to heighten their sexual pleasure.  Three times as many gay and bisexual men in London inject drugs than in England as a whole.  The research (from the London School of Medicine and Tropical Hygiene) also found that four times as many use crystal meth in the capital than across the rest of the country. Whilst so-called chemsex is not confined to the gay and bisexual population its growing popularity is seen by researchers to be more widespread in the gay community.

World Aids Day has been an annual event since 1988 and provides an opportunity for people worldwide to recognise and support those living with HIV and AIDS. Every year on 1st December the day is marked all over the world by the wearing of a red ribbon which, since 1991, has become the internationally recognised symbol of awareness of HIV and AIDS and a symbol of compassion.

American actor Charlie Sheen, star of hit US TV series ‘Two and a Half Men‘, recently spoke to the media about his diagnosis of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and how he has endeavoured to keep his diagnosis out of the news. Sheen claims to have paid out over $10million (around £6.5m) to avoid the information about his health being exposed since his diagnosis four years ago, evidence of the stigma that, for some, remains attached to HIV.

Gardnerella is very common infection which can be transmitted sexually.  It is a naturally occurring bacteria in women.  When a colony gets out of control, it can cause irritation, discomfort, pain when urinating, discharge, unpleasant smells.  It can also be passed on to a male or female partner.  There are no recorded instances of gardnerella being passed on by a man to a sexual partner.

Better2Know is continually looking for new STI testing methods; to make sure that we remain the leader in sexual health testing across the world.  There are lots of instant tests on the market, some are better than others.  We have got the best tests for six STIs for you.  

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection which can live in the urethra, throat (for those giving oral sex), rectum (for those receiving anal sex) and vagina (in women).  It is highly contagious and easily spread during sex.  It is possible to have chlamydia in more than one location.  So if you had an infection in your throat, your urine sample could be negative if you did not have an infection in the urethra.  However, the same one dose of medication will clear all the infections.

There are a lot of myths and outdated facts about STIs. You may hear and read about these rumours in life, bars, dancefloors and the internet, so let’s go through the most common ones we hear at Better2Know HQ:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a drug which if taken regularly can help to prevent an HIV-negative person acquiring HIV if they have exposure to the virus.  A recent trial in 13 sexual health clinics in the UK showed that the drug was very effective, and has cut new infections in high risk gay men by 86%.

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden has revealed that he has stage three tongue cancer which he claims he got from HPV.  He is following in the footsteps of Michael Douglas who said he got his cancer from oral sex.

It has been widely reported this week that gonorrhoea resistant to antibiotics has been found in a few cases in the North of England. As we have blogged about in the past, gonorrhoea being resistant to antibiotics is not new. There have been several cases in Japan, the Far East and increasingly in the US, so it was just a matter of time before case was found at home.

Better2Know has blogged before about the emerging resistance of gonorrhoea to antibiotics. So far, these cases are no in the UK in huge numbers, but as with any infection that is easily passed on to a new person, in our global world, it will come to the UK soon. Researchers are working to find new antibiotics to meet the needs of the incurable bugs including gonorrhoea.

A recent survey by the charity ovarian cancer action has found that young women prefer to search google than to go to their doctor for a sexual health issue.

A review of papers and studies has recently been conducted by Dr Monica Desai, HIV & STI Department, Public Health England, to explore the potential benefits of active recall programs to increase rates of HIV and STI testing. This means proactively contacting patients to advise them to come back for regular STI testing.